


Paint My Love Red

by moon_struck



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blood, M/M, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Vampire!Jaemin, onesided!markhyuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-08-22 22:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16606349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon_struck/pseuds/moon_struck
Summary: “Na Jaemin is the youngest son of the most dangerous and powerful vampires to have ever walked on earth,” Renjun says, as Jeno stops breathing, “and he is the sole heir to their kingdom and powers after their deaths.”Or, Jeno's soulmate is not what he expected him to be.





	1. Chapter 1

It doesn’t hurt.

Even as the blood starts to trickle down the side of his neck, colouring the collar of his shirt a deep red, he barely feels it. He wouldn’t even notice it if it weren’t for the questioning stares of his classmates or the worried glances that his friends send him. He reaches a hand up to the side of his neck where he knows his soulmate mark is, and then sighs deeply as his hand gets covered in the warm red liquid.

Usually, it’s only a little blood: a red drop on the side of his neck, gone as soon as it appears. Other times, it continues oozing for so long he passes out. And it seems like this time it might be the latter. 

Too fast for his liking, his vision starts getting blurry, and he whispers a panicked “fuck” before he reaches a hand out to Mark who is sitting right in front of him. As soon as Mark feels the hand on his back, he whips his head around and his eyes widen at the sight.

“Jeno?”, he asks, panic evident in his voice, “shit man, are you okay?” and then he gets up from his chair, ignoring the teacher’s protests. As soon as Mark lays his hand on his shoulders, Jeno hears another chair getting pushed away from the table, and he knows that Donghyuck, another one of his best friends, is hurrying over to help.

“Jeno your face is completely pale, you need to breathe, okay?” Donghyuck whispers as soon as he reaches the other two. His eyes are huge and filled to the brim with worry, and Jeno tries his best to focus on the sounds of his and Mark’s voices while ignoring the numbing feeling slowly spreading through his body. In no time Donghyuck and Mark are supporting Jeno, one arm slung over each of their shoulders, holding him up as they hurry down the halls towards the infirmary.

Jeno can feel his legs getting weaker every step he takes, and there are small black spots forming on the periphery of his vision. He knows that Mark and Donghyuck are trying to talk to him, but he can’t hear a thing they’re saying. He finds it difficult to breathe, and there’s a ringing in his ear that won’t stop. His soulmark usually doesn’t hurt, but it’s itching horribly right now, and Jeno is sure that he’s going insane. He just needs it all to stop.

And then suddenly, a warm and surprisingly calming feeling goes through his body. The ringing in his ears stop and instead it is replaced by a voice? He can’t hear what it says: it’s too quiet and he still feels too dizzy to focus. And yet, he’s sure it sounds like it’s calming him down. He tries to focus on it, but the dizziness is too much to handle, and before Mark or Donghyuck can even react, he blacks out.

When he wakes up later, he’s in a soft warm bed and he can hear people talking around him.

“Doyoung, stop worrying, it is not the first time this has happened, and he’ll wake up in no time.”

“I know, I know, but it has been happening more recently, and it’s not healthy for a human to lose that much blood in such a short period of time. He’s my brother; you can’t blame me for being worried.”

A groan leaves Jeno’s throat as he opens his eyes and is blinded by the white lights of a hospital room. He tries to push himself up and is surprised by how good he feels. He was expecting a painful headache and weak limbs, but he feels perfectly normal.

As if nothing happened.

When his eyes get used to the luminescent light of the hospital room, he removes the warm duvet from his legs and turns around so he can stand up. Immediately, the other three in the room are alerted to his awakening and Doyoung, his older brother, runs to his side and pushes him back to bed, before he even has a chance to put a foot on the ground.

“Jeno what do you think you are doing,” he says, voice loud and forceful but filled with worry, “you blacked out after losing almost a litre of blood, you shouldn’t even be awake yet.”

Jeno tries calming him down, “I’m perfectly fine, it’s not like it hasn’t happened before.” But it seems to have the opposite effect, and when he sees the frown deepening on his brother’s face, he knows that it was probably the wrong thing to say. Doyoung looks like he’s about to burst, but surprisingly, it’s not him who talks first.

Mark stands by the end of his bed and lets out a long sigh, “Jeno, I know you’re not worried, but the rest of us are. Recently it’s been more frequent. The last time you passed out and lost this much blood was barely even a month ago,” he says, voice laced with concern. He swallows the lump in his throat before continuing, “You’re gonna die if this continues.”

And Jeno knows he’s right.

When he was younger, the bleeding from his soulmark was rare. Once in a while, he would feel the soft tickle of a drop running down the side of his neck. He would wipe it off, forget it happened and that would be it. Now, it will bleed so much he can barely stop it no matter how many pieces of paper he uses, and it has started happening multiple times a week.

He reaches a hand up to touch the soulmark on the side of his neck, three pairs of worried eyes following his every move. It feels the same as it usually does; there is nothing to feel other than the softness of his skin. Except for the traces of dried blood still left where the nurses had missed with the cloth, it feels as if nothing happened. And that’s the problem.

There are no cuts, no weird scratches or anything on his pale skin that can explain why it starts bleeding. When the blood is washed away, his skin appears like normal, and his soulmark, a pretty name with two dots underneath, shows no signs of the bleeding either.

Donghyuck, who has been unusually quiet the entire time Jeno has been awake, suddenly clears his throat, “I know someone you should meet. I am almost sure he can help you since he’s amazingly talented, but you see, he is a bit different. from the rest of us.” He says, and he sounds oddly nervous, which only piques Jeno’s interest.

“In what way is he different Hyuck?” Mark asks, clearly just as curious as Jeno feels. 

Donghyuck suddenly looks very uncomfortable in the situation and has to clear his throat again several times before he speaks. When he finally starts, his voice is so uncharacteristically tiny that they can barely hear him,

“Well, first of all, he’s my boyfriend,” he starts and releases a relieved breath. Jeno almost interrupts him to ask him why he hasn’t told him he had a boyfriend before; they’re best friends for God’s sake. But then he looks over at Mark who all of a sudden looks like he wants to run in front of a train, and decides to let it go. They will talk about it later.

It’s Doyoung who continues; “Congratulations Donghyuck, I’m happy for you. Now I’m aware you’re not exactly everyone’s favourite, but in what way does liking you make him different as a person?”

Donghyuck crosses his arms over his chest and pouts.

“Rude. It doesn’t; it’s just a plus. Felt like I should get it out of the way. The thing that truly makes him different is that” a wicked grin spreads on his face, “He’s a witch.” 

And Jeno laughs.

 

Two weeks later, and it turns out Donghyuck wasn’t lying when he said that his boyfriend was a witch. 

It isn’t an unusual day. After a long day, he and Donghyuck decide to stop by a café on the way home and get a hot chocolate. At first, everything is fine. They are talking excitedly about Jeno’s next dancing showcase when he feels the first few drops of blood rush down the side of his neck. Donghyuck hands him a tissue, but they soon realise that it’s of no use, so he runs to the kitchen to get a cloth, in hopes that it will absorb the blood. 

Jeno focuses on his breathing, and on the softness of the voice in his head. He is starting to understand a few of the words, and there’s so much love in them that he starts to relax. Before he can actually fall asleep, however, Donghyuck drags him out of the café towards his old, blue car and throws him in the front seat. The bleeding has slowed down considerably.   
Donghyuck doesn’t say anything as he starts driving, and Jeno is starting to worry that is was angry until he finally opens his mouth.

“I know you don’t believe me; I don’t blame you. But he’s my boyfriend, and I need you to let him help you,” His voice is calm, and he reaches out to hold Jeno’s hand with his right hand, while the left stays on the steering wheel, before continuing, “You’re my best friend, and I would rather die than lose you.”

“You’re not gonna lose me,” Jeno says, and he knows it’s true. While the bleeding is annoying and at times uncomfortable, he somehow knows it will never kill him. He’s not sure what the whole thing means, and why it happens, but his gut feeling tells him not to be worried. And a calming voice has been saying the same thing in his head for a few weeks now.

Donghyuck gives his hand a final squeeze, and then the car stops in front of a large, Victorian style house. The huge front garden is filled with countless plants, herbs and colourful flowers. multiple ones that Jeno has never seen before in his life. A small fountain stands in one side of the garden, and two large apple trees decorate the other. It looks inviting and Jeno is very close to forgetting why he’s here and instead of getting lost in the flowers, but Donghyuck slaps his ass and tells him to follow along.

There’s a stone path leading to the wooden door of the house, and Jeno follows Donghyuck as he leads the way towards it. Jeno has no idea what type of person Donghyuck’s boyfriend will be, and for some reason, he feels a little nervous. He almost asks if they can turn around, but the words get stuck in his throat when he sees the excitement on Donghyuck’s face. His eyes are shining, and his smile only seems to get wider the closer they get.

Before they can reach the door, it opens and a handsome young man steps out. He’s wearing a black denim jacket and skinny jeans that fit him perfectly, and his hair is soft brown. Gorgeous is the best way to describe him, and Jeno thinks he sees what attracted Donghyuck must’ve first seen in him. Luckily, the attraction definitely seems mutual, if the loving eyes and the soft smile he sends Donghyuck when he sees him are anything to judge by.

Donghyuck jumps into the boy’s awaiting arms, seemingly forgetting why they are even their in the first place. They fit well together, Jeno notes, but he doesn’t want to interrupt them, so he just stands by awkwardly and waits for one of them to remember his existence. 

After giving Donghyuck a final peck on the lips, his boyfriend turns his attention towards Jeno, and then asks Donghyuck if he can introduce them. Reluctantly, Donghyuck pulls away, turning his body towards Jeno as well.

“Jeno, meet Renjun; the boy who’s lucky enough to call himself my boyfriend,” he says and Renjun, his boyfriend, immediately rolls his eyes but doesn’t protest, or comment on the “lucky” part. Donghyuck continues, “and Renjun, this is Jeno. One of my best friends, and also a dying soul in need of your help.”

“I’m not dying.” Jeno weakly protests, but Donghyuck ignores him in favour of snaking his arms around Renjun’s waist and kissing his sharp jawline. Renjun gives him a passionless slap on his hands, before sending Jeno a welcoming smile, and shaking his hand before opening the door properly to let them both in.

The first thing that welcomes Jeno when he gets inside is a sweet smell of cinnamon, and something he thinks might be vanilla. There are thousands of old bookshelves lining the walls of the old house, most of which seem to be in languages he has never even seen. Multiple shelves and closets filled with strange, exotic items, that Jeno has no idea what are, are cramped in a smaller room, next to the one they entered. Something is being cooked in the kitchen, and there’s a soft tune playing from a gramophone in the corner of the room.

Renjun leads them towards a small table and sits down on the couch next to it. He calls for someone in a language Jeno doesn’t recognize, and before he can even ask what language it is, he hears someone running down the stairs. A younger boy appears in the doorway, and he immediately greets Jeno when he sees him. The boy has the biggest smile on his face, and the blonde hair on his head makes him stand out in an adorable way. He introduces himself as Chenle, and sits down next to Jeno. He is Renjun’s cousin, and also his assistant, he adds, with a proud smile on his face.

Chenle is loud, but he lights up the room, and Jeno can see why Renjun likes having him around. There’s something about the boy that eases Jeno’s nerves, and when Renjun asks him to explain what he needs help with, he does with no hesitation. The place already feels like a home to him, a place with people he can trust.

He tells them about the first time it happened. When he was only 8 years old, he had been playing games with his brother when the side of his neck suddenly started burning. It had hurt like hell, but only for a minute, and then came the warm, thick blood. It was gushing out as if he had a deep open wound, and all he could do was scream as he waited for it to stop, while his brother helplessly called their parents. 

When the blood was cleaned off, all they could see was the first letters of a name and no sign of anything else.

From when he was 9 until he was around 19, the bleeding had been sporadic and only small drops of crimson would appear when new letters formed on the side of his neck. Then 4 months after he had turned 19, it started to change.

The bleeding went from only small drops to up to a litre of blood every time it happened. One day back in August it had been particularly bad. He had lost close to one and a half litres of blood, and he had been passed out for days. When he woke up there were two round dots underneath the name of his soulmate, but other than that nothing had changed.

Jeno talks about the time it happened in class a few weeks before, and about what happened in the café earlier the same day. While he does, Renjun and Chenle listen attentively to every detail of his story. Renjun is writing something in a small notebook, and Chenle has put his hand on Jeno’s back. Even though Jeno isn’t sure they can help him, he feels more hopeful than he has in months.

“The weirdest thing is,” Jeno explains, “ that it never hurts. Lately, whenever it bleeds, I feel a calm wash over me, and I feel almost content and relaxed; even before it fully stops. And maybe I’m going crazy, but sometimes it feels like there is someone talking to me; trying to calm me down.”

Renjun seems to be pondering it for a second and then says, “Maybe your soulmate can feel your panic. It would be unusual, but certainly not impossible.” Jeno hums. That would make sense.

Soulmate marks were difficult to understand. For millenniums, everyone got their mark when they were 18, but for a reason that no one could explain, that pattern started changing a few centuries ago. Some were now born with their mark, others got it later, and some unlucky ones didn’t get theirs until they were grey and old, and it was too late for them to find their match. Jeno was thankful he didn’t have to go through that.

The “power” had also been limited. While there was still an automatic attraction between you and your soulmate, it no longer had to be romantic. This meant that many chose to live with people who they knew weren’t their soulmates since they could not be sure to experience the romantic attraction with their own soulmate. So rather than risk a life in loneliness, many ignored the system and fell in love with whoever they wanted to. The connection that you could feel with your soulmate before meeting them also seemed to disappear for most, and so the whole concept of soulmate marks was slowly losing its purpose. So rather than risking a life in loneliness, many ignored the system and fell in love with whoever they wanted to while ignoring their mark.

But Jeno knew he could never do that. Especially not when it kept reminding him of its existence.

Chenle leaves the room when Jeno finishes talking and comes back in with a wet towel and a new shirt. He sits down next to Jeno again and starts cleaning the dried blood away from his neck. Renjun is looking through his never-ending bookshelves, trying to find answers while mumbling small words of encouragements to himself. Donghyuck is quietly reading a book Renjun handed him when they arrived. Jeno didn’t even know he liked reading.

While Chenle cleans him up and tries to rinse out the blood in his hair, he tells him about Renjun. He says that he won’t give away too much about him; that Jeno should see for himself one day, but that while Renjun may look harmless, he is incredibly strong. Jeno believes it.

All of a sudden Chenle releases a loud gasp and yells at Renjun to come to see Jeno’s soulmate mark. Renjun is alarmed by Chenle’s sudden outburst and drops the book he was holding. He hurries over, and Chenle moves away so he can see. Jeno suddenly feels very uncomfortable with the whole situation, and it certainly doesn’t help that when Renjun looks at his neck, his eyes widen and he looks at Jeno with fear in his eyes.

“Jeno,” he whispers and Jeno can hear the strain in his voice, “do you know who your soulmate is?”

Jeno almost laughs at how ridiculous the question is; of course, he doesn’t, if he did, he most likely wouldn’t be where he was, trying desperately to get help. He shakes his head. He has read the name numerous times; Na Jaemin, but he doesn’t know him. Never even heard anyone say his name.

By now, Donghyuck has gotten up from the couch and he takes hold of Renjun’s shaking hands, trying to calm him down. 

“Babe, what’s wrong? Why are you asking him that?”

Chenle is staying so quiet it freaks Jeno out, and Renjun’s panic is making it worse. He is so tired of not understanding anything, and the silence and sudden change in mood is so fucking frustrating. He can feel the tears burning in his eyes, and he usually doesn’t get angry, but he needs to know what is going on. 

“Renjun, please just fucking tell me.” He begs, and Renjun releases a shaky breath before answering.

“Your soulmate is sort of famous in our world.” He finally reveals.

“Why?” Jeno asks, even though he is not sure he wants to hear the answer.

“Na Jaemin is the youngest son of the most dangerous and powerful vampires to have ever walked on earth,” Renjun says, while Jeno stops breathing, “and he is the sole heir to their kingdom and powers after their deaths.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: short description of a panic attack, and a little violence.

Hearing that your soulmate is actually a terrifying, bloodthirsty vampire, who will more than likely suck the blood out of your neck when you meet them, is not the most pleasant news to be told. But Jeno takes it surprisingly well.

As soon as the words leave Renjun’s mouth, he finally releases the breath he had been holding, and a switch flips on inside his head. Instead of panicking, he zones out. He’s not thinking about anything in particular, he’s just sort of there. Some sort of auto-pilot mode. Maybe it is because he doesn’t understand it yet. Maybe it is because the vampire thing definitely isn’t that believable to him. He doesn't register if Renjun says anything after "deaths", but his voice is surprisingly calm when he looks up at Renjun and says; “Okay. That makes sense.” Even though he knows that deep down it doesn’t.

Renjun doesn’t seem convinced either, judging by the way his forehead creases and he shakes his head a little. “I don’t think you understand how serious it is Jeno,” he sighs. Renjun lets go of Donghyuck’s hands, and walks back to the bookshelves. He pulls out an old, dust-covered book; “vampires are not like humans; they don’t have soulmates. And if yours is truly the Na Jaemin, then you could be in trouble.”

That seems to wake up Donghyuck who had silently been sitting in shock over his boyfriend’s revelation. “Trouble?”, he asks, and Jeno swears he hears some excitement in his tone. Renjun must hear it too. “Yes, and no; not the fun kind,” he sighs; “like I said, vampires don’t have soul-mates like humans do. Yet, that doesn’t mean that Jeno and the prince doesn’t share a bond of some sorts.” He stops talking and starts flipping through the book he had taken.

“But hyung, doesn’t that mean..” Chenle whispers, sounding just as panicked as Jeno probably should be. Renjun finishes the sentence for him; “It means that Jeno could be in grave danger if anyone finds about this. Jeno is a potential weakness to Jaemin, and those who wishes to hurt Jaemin might do it by hurting Jeno. We don't want that to happen."

Jeno doesn’t hear their conversation. There’s an odd ringing in his ears, and all he can do is nod. He hopes that some part of his brain registers the conversation the other’s are having, but he doubts it. At some point it gets a bit too much. He feels trapped and the room is suddenly very small. There’s too many things to take in, and the feeling creeping in is not a good one. So to combat the unavoidable panic and confusion that he knows will soon poison his mind, he decides to go home. He needs a safe space, somewhere he can feel like himself.

They all three protest when he tells them. For all they know a crazy vampire freak is outside, waiting to pounce on him and rip his arms off, (“Thanks Chenle, I needed that visual”), but after a little begging and pouting from Jeno's side, they let him go.

Outside the sun is setting. Soft, orange hues paints the walls of the brick houses, and the last rays whispers sweet goodnights against Jeno’s pale skin. Jeno stands there observing his little world. There’s no people in sight, and even the plants seem lazy and tired; done with what the world is throwing at them. Jeno feels good. He can breathe again.

The first cool winds that hit his face as he starts walking, fades away the worries forming in the back of his head. All the talk about vampires and danger is momentarily forgotten as he starts walking towards the city-centre and the safety of his apartment. He’s not exactly sure where he is, but he knows the general direction and soon enough he starts seeing building that he recognizes.

There's the library which he seriously needs to visit more often. The church that Mark and Donghyuck usually perform in is standing white and proud against the green background of the park. He smiles to an old lady leaving the grocery store. At this moment they seem to be the only two people in the world.

It’s when he walks past the “Dream Café”, a small coffee shop a few blocks away from his apartment, that he hears it. At first, he thinks it’s a stray cat. There's a dark alleyway next to the café, and he isn't stupid so he knows he shouldn't go there. And yet, he does anyway. With excitement in his steps he walks into the small alleyway, forgetting about all the crime shows he has watched. Only to be horrified when he realizes that the miaws he thought he was hearing, are not coming from a cat. Instead, the pained whimpers are coming from a person.

He doesn’t look much older than Jeno, and if his face wasn’t contorted in pain and covered in blood, he might be quite handsome too. Jeno quickly pushes that thought away, as he gets closer to the guy. His shirt is covered in blood and he is clutching the side of his stomach. Ignoring all the warning signs, and a voice in his head that suspiciously sounds like Doyoung, he softly grabs the guy by the shoulder.

“I’m sorry sir, do you want me to call an ambulance?”, he starts, but he receives no immediate answer. Instead, the stranger goes eerily quiet, and Jeno takes it as a sign to continue. “We need to put pressure on the wound, you seem to be bleeding a lot.” he insists, but as he reaches his other arm out to help, the guy suddenly pulls him down, and throws him hard on the ground.

The air is knocked out of his lungs, and he barely has time to react before his arms are pinned above his head, effectively trapping him in place. “You humans are too naive. What did you think you heard? A little kitten? Spare me.” the stranger laughs, obviously taunting him. His mouth is right next to Jeno’s ear, making Jeno let out a small gasp. But Jeno is stuck. Even as the stranger licks a wet stripe right under his jaw, he can only squeak, and squirm in a weak attempt to break free.

The stranger whispers, almost seductively, “Now handsome, I hope you don’t mind if I have a little taste?” But Jeno does mind; very much so actually. He wants to scream at the man to get away, and to leave him alone. And yet nothing comes out. He feels weak and useless, and he is so angry at himself for being so dumb. He's so sure that he is about to be raped, and prepares himself to run if he gets the chance.

So when he feels pain in his neck as the stranger sinks his razor sharp teeth into his exposed neck, he can’t even scream because of the shock. The stranger is a fucking vampire. The ache is too much, it’s unbearingly painful; spreading around his entire body as he cramps in pain. This isn’t right, he panicks, this isn’t right at all.

Just as he thinks the creature will empty his body from blood, he vampire roughly pulls away, ripping Jeno’s skin in the process. The shock and confusion brings Jeno back to his senses. He tries to make a run for it while the vampire rapidly cleans his tongue and fangs on his sleeves, but the hold on him is too tight.

“Fuck, why do you taste so horrible?!” The vampire yells, clearly frustrated (and Jeno is oddly offended at the comment). By the way he is yelling and desperately trying to remove all traces of Jeno’s blood from his mouth, it becomes clear how upset he is; “are you sick or something?! your blood is fucking bitter; tastes worse than pig blood!” Jeno doesn’t know if he's supposed to answer. He doesn't even know what the answer is. All he knows, is that he is getting increasingly pissed at the rather rude vampire. What does he mean it tastes bad? It’s blood for heaven’s sake, and isn’t a vampire supposed to like blood?

Annoyed by the lack of response he is getting, the vampire grabs a harsh hold of Jeno’s jaw and forces him to look him straight in the eyes. “Tell me pretty boy, why do you taste like that, huh?”, he demands, and this time his voice is a lot less seductive than before. Clearly angry, it doesn’t help that Jeno still doesn’t have an answer for him. The vampire pulls them both up from the ground, and pushes Jeno up against the wall. He moves a finger to the side of Jeno’s neck, and Jeno hisses when he pushes a finger against the now ripped skin.

Suddenly, the vampire stops. He turns Jeno’s head to the side and the way his eyes widen would be comical if Jeno wasn’t terrified of what was to happen to him. But, before the vampire even has time to say anything, a loud yell interrupts them; “Get the hell away from him!” the new voice yells, and Jeno doesn’t recognize it. The vampire turns towards the voice, fangs on full display. A young man comes speeding towards them, but Jeno doesn't get a good look at him. Before he knows it, the vampire is ripped away from Jeno and thrown roughly against the wall on the other side of the alleyway.

Jeno doesn't have time to dwell on what just happened. His instincts kick in, and with the last of the energy he has in him after losing blood twice in a day, he sprints towards his apartment. Luckily, it’s close, and with the lack of people in the street it takes him no time. He fishes his phone out of his pocket when he gets in, and before his head starts spinning, he frantically calls Donghyuck. He only manages a weak, “Please.. I need help,” before he collapses on his floor, his door still wide open.

When he opens his eyes again a few minutes later, he is still covered in blood, and a stranger is looking down at him. The pain in his neck reminds him of what happened earlier, and he scrambles to get away from the couch he had been placed in. The man doesn’t try to stop him, but his pounding headache and dizziness does, and he drops back on the couch. Jeno turns towards the stranger; he seems familiar but he can’t quite place him. Before he can ask him who he is, the stranger takes his hand in his.

Jeno doesn’t pull back. His hands are cold but soft, and Jeno notices the blood on the man’s knuckles. He knows there’s something odd going on, but Jeno can’t help but look at the man. His face is pretty. Round, brown eyes, sweet dimples, and hair a light brown.

His voice is soft, even as he speaks in a hurry; “I know you are confused, this all so sudden. But sadly, I don’t have time to talk, Your friends are on their way here, and I need to ask for your help before they come.” Jeno can’t the questions now flooding his mind. Why would this stranger need his help? The man seems to read his mind; “I have a letter that I need you to bring to someone. I can’t stress the importance enough that you deliver it to the right person, and that it is you who does it.” he says, voice steady and calm.

“But why me?” Jeno asks. The man seems to consider it for moment. He looks at Jeno with sadness in his eyes; “I’m not sure I can tell you yet. It would make everything a lot more difficult.” he replies, but Jeno is far from satisfied with the cryptic answer. He’s had enough of those. “That sounds ridiculous, and you know it. I don’t mind doing it, but why can’t you do it yourself?!” he asks, and he realizes that he is almost yelling. The frustration and tiredness finally getting to his head.

The stranger lets go of his hand and gets up from the couch with a sigh. He turns away from Jeno before saying, “I’m on the run. I’m trying to protect someone very dear to me, and this letter is my only way to do so. For now at least.” He pulls a letter and a small necklace out from his backpocket, and then he places it in Jeno’s hand.

“Keep the necklace on, it will protect you. And hand the letter to crown prince Na Jaemin. Your friends will know how to find him.” He explains, and then he is out of the door before Jeno has time to register his words.

Almost as soon as the stranger has left, he hears loud voices in the hallway. He tries to get up but when he accidentally moves his head the side, he feels a sharp agony in his neck from the wound left by the vampire in the alleyway. Jeno can’t help the a painful cry leaving his throat, immediately alerting Donghyuck who comes running in with a look of pure terror on his face.

He rushes towards Jeno, with Renjun and Chenle following close behind him. “Fuck you; I thought I’d lost you, what the hell happened?!” he screams and Jeno can see the tears forming in his eyes, but he doesn’t know what to say. Doesn't know if he can say anything. Donghyuck orders Chenle around and Renjun takes out some strange green concussion from his bag. He lathers it on the wound, but Jeno doesn't feel anything.

His thoughts are swirling. The confusion, anger and all the questions that he had tried so hard to push to the back of his mind are back in full swing. He doesn’t understand. Why him? What makes him so special? And why the fuck is Na Jaemin so important?

The walls are moving closer. Someone must be lying on his chest because it’s challenging to breathe. When he thinks it can’t get worse, his throat painfully tightens, and the frustration causes tears to spring from his eyes. It feels like something's crawling on him, and he tries scratching at his skin. It's itching so horribly everywhere the vampire touched, and everywhere his blood is drying. Jeno needs it to stop. His breathing gets more and more frantic, and the crying more uncontrollable. And then he hears that voice again.

It’s clearer this time than usual. He can make out, “I’ve got you baby”, and “you need to breathe Jeno”, this time. The voice sounds young and soothing, and it sort of reminds him of the stranger from before. While it certainly helps him focus again, he doesn't calm down until Donghyuck rips his hands away from where they had been clawing at his cheeks. He replaces them with his own, softly caressing Jeno’s reddening skin, and the voice gives Jeno small praises.

Jeno finally calms down after a little while, and he leans into Donghyuck’s warm touch. “You really aren’t very lucky, are you?” Donghyuck murmurs with a small smile, even though the worry is very visible on his face. In response, Jeno just grimaces.

Chenle sits down beside them. He looks curiously at the wound on Jeno’s neck and reaches up with his small hand to touch it. As if suddenly remembering what he’s doing he quickly retracts his hand, and looks apologetically at Jeno. Jeno gives him a nod, and then turns his head to the side. giving Chenle access. The cream that Renjun had brought had turned out to be some sort of painkiller, so it doesn’t hurt when Chenle carefully examines.

“I think you’re wrong, Donghyuck. Jeno is very lucky. Had that vampire used more force, and ripped a little harder, he could have ripped Jeno’s throat out with ease. “ Chenle looks amazed as she says it; “those beasts are horribly strong.”

“Stop touching it Lele, it’s far from healed yet, and Jeno needs to rest.” Renjun says as he enters the room with a warm cup of tea in his hand. Jeno is not entirely sure how he got it, considering there is almost nothing in his kitchen. But he deems there more important questions to be asked. Like why he was attacked and why the vampire said his blood tasted bad.

Oh, and then there is, of course, the necklace and the letter in his pocket. Addressed to Na Jaemin. He doesn’t know if he should tell the others. The stranger did tell him that his friends would know where to find the Prince, but Jeno is not entirely sure that he even wants to meet him. He’s perfectly fine with not being vampire food. Most definitely never doing that again. Ironically, his soulmark starts itching as soon as the thought passes him.

He reaches a hand up to touch it, check if it's bleeding, and three pairs of eyes follow his every small move. For a second he worries if the bite had ruined the mark, but as if sensing his thought Renjun says; “It’s still there, don’t worry,” before he even has the time to ask.

Jeno isn't even sure why he is worried about it in the first place. He has already established that vampires are not creatures he wishes to deal with, and yet he can’t help but wonder about the prince. He wonders what he looks like, what his personality is like, and what his voice sounds like. Though, Jeno thinks he might already know the answer to the last one. He also can’t help but wonder what the connection between Na Jaemin and the stranger who showed up at his apartment is.

If it is as important as the stranger implied, that the letter be handed to Na Jaemin soon, then Jeno can’t see the logic in giving the task to him. He has only just learned about vampires, and he frankly has no fucking clue what to do. “I’m going to the bathroom.” He lies. With some difficulty, due to the constant headache and accompanying dizziness, he gets up and goes to his room.

Inside, he places the letter and necklace on his desk. The necklace has a round pendant hanging on it. It seems to be made of gold, but it looks very old and Jeno can't see any easy way to open it. Jeno decides that the best way to keep it safe is by putting it on like the stranger said, and hiding it under his shirt. So he does. He gasps when the cold metal hits his warm skin, and the pendant feels heavier than he expected. He jokes to himself that there might be a rock inside.

Deciding that there is not much new information to gain from inspecting the necklace, he moves his attention towards the letter. Like the necklace, it looks old. The paper is an odd yellow color, and it has been closed with sealing wax. The seal itself pictures a moon surronded by a crown. Pretty, but simple, and absolutely no help for Jeno. He sighs; there has to be something that can help him, and he knows exactly what, but he refuses to open the letter. Even if its for a vampire prince, it’s still private.

Giving up, for now, he puts the letter back in his pocket and walks back to the living room of his apartment. Donghyuck is snuggled up to Renjun on one side of the couch, and Jeno can’t help the fond smile on his face when he sees them.

Donghyuck and he had been friends since high school. He could be honest and bold, but he also had a sensitive side to him that Jeno adored. To him, Donghyuck is one of those people who you can’t help but love. As cliché as it may be, Donghyuck is truly like the sun; warm, bright and intense.

And while he is delighted to see just how happy Donghyuck is with Renjun, Jeno had always thought that Donghyuck and Mark would end up together. He knows that Mark thought so too, and reminds himself, that when the whole vampire thing is over, he needs to talk to Mark.

Chenle sees him coming and pats the spot beside him; “Jeno come sit down, I wanna hear about what happened.” he gushes. Donghyuck lifts his head and gives Jeno a hesitant smile. He tells him that if he doesn’t feel comfortable sharing yet, then he doesn’t have to.

Jeno shakes his head; he doesn’t mind. He’s still in shock and he doesn’t exactly understand what happened, but he needs answers and this might be a good chance. So he sits down on the soft couch and starts talking. He tells them about the vampire. About how Jeno was just trying to help a kitten, and he definitely wasn’t trying to get into danger (Renjun still calls him an idiot). He talks about the vampire’s reaction to his blood, and his hero of the night, and it feels so good to get everything off his chest.

“He told me my blood tastes horrible; even tried drying it off on his sleeve!” He whines, and Donghyuck laughs at him and says; “I can’t believe you’re getting offended over a vampire not liking your blood, can you hear yourself?”

“Excuse you, he has the decency to attack me and suck my blood out, and then he dares to call it gross? He’s a vampire for fuck's sake!” And Donghyuck just laughs harder, as Jeno huffs and folds his arms across his chest. Renjun, ignoring the laughing boy next to him, asks Jeno how he managed to get away from the guy. Jeno hesitates. He wants to tell them about his saviour, but he’s not sure he wants them to know about him coming to the apartment; it would just make them worry.

So he leaves it out and says, “Out of nowhere this guy comes running in from the street and throws him off me. I didn’t see what he looked like or heard what he said. I ran as soon as I had the chance. And then I called you guys and here we are.”

Renjun doesn’t seem to believe him; “So you’re telling me that a completely random guy comes running in from the street, throws a fucking vampire away from you and then just lets you leave? He really didn’t follow you or anything?”

“Nope.”

Even though he is clearly still in disbelief, Renjun decides to drop it and just hums in response. Jeno lets out a relieved breath. They luckily don't talk about that part anymore.

Chenle is in awe over Jeno's luck and wants to know every single detail that Jeno can provide him about the assault, and Donghyuck starts looking bored when Jeno starts talking about the gross blood thing for the 3rd time. Renjun seems to be deep in thought throughout the whole conversation. At some point Chenle calms down, so Jeno decides to take that opportunity to ask them some questions.

He starts easy; "Why have I never heard about vampires existing in our world before?" 

Renjun almost laughs; "It's not really something that you talk about over a warm cup of tea, or a night out. We keep our identities hidden in order to stay safe." He explains, "and vampires only come here to eat. Mostly they just reside in the Realm."

"What is that?"

Chenle jumps in; "It’s our home. It's where the supernatural creatures live. Vampires, werewolves, witches, you name it.” He excitedly explains, “The vampires rule, and have been for as long as anyone can remember." 

"But what about the other creatures? Don't they want to rule?" Jeno asks.

"Of course. But there are more than double the amount of vampires as there are any other kind of creature in the Realm, and they are by far the most powerful. Not even the strongest witch or werewolf can defeat a vampire from the royal bloodline." Renjun huffs.

Jeno is starting to realize just how little he knows; "Why is that?"

Renjun and Chenle share a look, and Renjun takes Jeno’s hand in his as he says; "We can't tell you everything. Some things you'll have to find out for yourself. And the best way to do that is to go there."

 Jeno feels a strange sense of déja vú.

Donghyuck decides to interrupt. He had been playing with Renjun’s hair, but now he decides to take part in the conversation; "Jun, are you sure that's the best idea? He just got attacked by a vampire, and now you want to send him to a place full of them."

"I don't think Jeno has much of a choice. And now is the perfect time. Na Jaemin is becoming an adult soon, and they’re celebrating it with a ball at the castle on friday.” He releases Jeno’s hands and wraps his arms around Donghyuck’s small frame instead; “We have to get Jeno in, but he needs an invitation.”

“And how do you propose I get an invitation to the birthday party of a vampire prince? I’ve never even visited the Realm, nor do I know how to get there.” Jeno hisses. He’s not sure he likes where the conversation is heading, especially not when Chenle turns to him with a wicked grin on his face, and says; “That’s where I come into the picture.”

As it turns out, Chenle already has an invitation. Better yet, he knows how to get another one. He doesn’t want to explain why, and Renjun is of no help either; "He'll tell you one day, don't worry." he shrugs.

Chenle is overly excited by the whole thing. He’s planning Jeno’s suit, telling him about what he can and cannot say. With odd sound effects, he describes the great and powerful creatures Jeno might get to meet, and Jeno thinks it's starting to sound like a bad video game. And then he talks about the prince. “He hasn’t been seen much in public, but I’ve heard he’s very, very handsome.” He says, and even has the decency to wink in Jeno’s direction.

Jeno chooses to ignore it. He tries to tell himself that he really doesn’t care about any of it; he just needs to deliver the letter and necklace and then he will be gone again, but deep down he’s a little more curious.

"We won't force you, Jeno. It has to be your choice." Renjun assures him.

Jeno doesn’t want to get to involved with more vampires, and especially not of royal blood, but Na Jaemin is his soulmate. That has to count for something.

“I want to do it. I want to go.”

Three pairs of eyes are immediately on him. “Are you completely sure? You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. ” Donghyuck says, but Jeno is sure and nods; “I want to meet him.”

Chenle claps his hands together; “Great! Time to get you a suit then. You need to look the part.” and then he gets up from the couch, dragging Jeno with him. But they don’t get very far, as Renjun pulls Jeno back.

“Lele, I think we should let Jeno sleep first, it’s almost midnight.” He turns to Jeno, “Do you want us to stay the night?”

“It’s okay. I’ll just see you tomorrow, I don’t think anything will happen tonight.” He jawns, feeling very tired at the mention of sleep and walks towards his room. He takes off his pants and jacket and then flops onto his bed. Just as he’s drifting off, a warm body joins him. He lets the boy cuddle into his side and wraps the duvet around them both.

“I didn’t want you to sleep alone.”Donghyuck mumbles,”It’s okay to be scared, you know?”

“I am scared. But it’ll be okay,” He nuzzles his nose against Donghyuck’s neck, who hums.

Donghyuck has always understood him. He has always known what to say to comfort him, and make him feel safe. Jeno hugs the boy tighter to his chest.

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I last posted. I think I posted the first chapter too early, and I had no idea where to take the story, but now I do, so expect updates regularly (I will try).   
> We will be meeting the prince next chapter, so look forward to that.
> 
> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.  
> This is my first chaptered fic, and I can't promise regular updates but I will do my best, as I am super excited about writing this.  
> Please leave kudos, and comments with suggestions, ideas or just constructive criticism. 
> 
> my twt: https://twitter.com/hyuck_ren_le


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